Karen Hooks sentenced to one year in prison for abuse of son's corpse

FOLLOW UP: Karen Hooks, who pled guilty to abusing her son's corpse last year, was sentenced to one year in prison followed by one year of probation during court proceedings held Tuesday in the Kent County Courthouse.

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By Antonio Pradoantonio.prado@doverpost.com@DoverPostPrado

Dover Post

By Antonio Pradoantonio.prado@doverpost.com@DoverPostPrado

Posted Jan. 31, 2013 at 10:41 AM
Updated Jan 31, 2013 at 1:10 PM

By Antonio Pradoantonio.prado@doverpost.com@DoverPostPrado

Posted Jan. 31, 2013 at 10:41 AM
Updated Jan 31, 2013 at 1:10 PM

Dover, Del.

The Dover area woman who pled guilty to abusing her son's corpse last year was sentenced to one year in prison followed by one year of probation during court proceedings held Tuesday in Kent County Superior Court.

Superior Court of Delaware Judge James T. Vaughn Jr. also ordered Hooks to pay $4,500 in restitution to the state of Delaware, to receive a mental health evaluation and follow any recommended treatment, to maintain employment and to provide a DNA sample to the state, Delaware Department of Justice spokesman Jason Miller said Wednesday.

In addition, Vaughn consented to the transfer of Hooks' probation to California if approved by her probation officer and the state of California during the sentencing held in the Kent County Courthouse.

Hooks, 33, of Dover, was arrested last July and charged with abusing her son's corpse. She pled guilty to abusing her 2-year-old son's corpse, lying to police twice as they investigated her son's whereabouts and for collecting state benefits for her dead son under false pretenses during a hearing held Nov. 16, 2012.

The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit arrested Hooks, of Squire Circle in the Royal Grant development on July 25, Master Cpl. Gary E. Fournier had said. Detectives began their investigation into a missing child complaint on July 9 after receiving information from the Delaware Division of Family Services that a pregnant woman was no longer pregnant and her 2-year-old child was missing.

On July 13, Hooks told investigators that her son, Justice, was in the care of a female friend in Smyrna, Fournier had said. She also denied the fact that she was ever pregnant. Detectives obtained a search warrant on July 25 for the house. During the search, detectives made the grisly discovery of human remains. They were removed by officials from the Delaware Office of the Medical Examiner for a post-mortem that determined the remains were of a male child, state officials said. But, autopsy results were not conclusive enough for a murder charge.

Deputy Attorney General and Chief Kent County Prosecutor Kenneth Haltom and co-lead counsel Jason Cohee had said that the investigation into the possible murder of Hooks' son would continue as would the mystery surrounding Hooks' alleged pregnancy. Miller said that murder investigation was ongoing but there was not enough evidence to charge Hooks at this time.

In addition, Hooks was committed to Delores J. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution in lieu of $100,000 cash bail and had been held since she booked in late July 2012, Miller said. As a result, she would would receive credit for time served.